Bolgatanga, Dec. 22, GNA - Mr Boniface Gambila, Upper East Regional Minister on Wednesday commended Chiefs in the region for recording the least Chieftaincy disputes in the country.

He made the commendation at the end of year ordinary meeting of the Upper East Regional House Chiefs at Bolgatanga.

"It is refreshing to note your performance in the past few years and happily this year, the region has recorded the least number of Chieftaincy cases in the country," He said.

The Regional Minister pointed out that peace was the cornerstone of development without which there would be no progress.

He, therefore, called on the chiefs as embodiment of peace to continue to maintain and sustain the peace prevailing in the region, in order that funds and energy that would have been used to maintain peace and security could be used to develop the region.

Mr Gambila asked the chiefs to endeavour to create an atmosphere devoid of tension, violence, and insecurity especially during, before, and after the celebration of various traditional festivals in the region.

He appealed to them to fashion out strategies to address the annual bush burning and the indiscriminate felling of trees either for fuel or farming since these practices led to desertification.

Naba Simon Asobayire IV, President of the House, said chiefs should be given more opportunity to partner Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to promote good governance. He said there were only six Paramount Chiefs in the House, with the rest being either Regents or Representatives that was not good enough.

Naba Asobayire said the House had established an Arbitration Committee to find out problems hindering the various Skins from installing substantive Paramount Chiefs.

He appealed to the Government and the Ghana Aids Commission to involve chiefs in the combat against the HIV/AIDS pandemic, because chiefs live with the people in the communities and could make greater impact in the fight against the disease.

Naba Asobayire appealed to the Government to provide the House with a means of transport to enable it discharge it functions effectively and efficiently.

Mr Ken Dabuor, Upper East Regional Director of Education, briefing the House on the impact of the Capitation Grant, said with the introduction of the concept, the enrolment figures in schools had increased with Day Nursery recording 4.4 per cent, Primary 5.1 per cent, and Junior Secondary Schools with 4.6 per cent.

He called on chiefs as custodians to ensure that parents within their communities send their children to school because the grant was to encourage poor parents to send their children to school.